


Inheriance

by basicallyiwriteshit



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Other, captain talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-15 02:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5768017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basicallyiwriteshit/pseuds/basicallyiwriteshit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ennoshita has some problems picking the perfect vice captain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inheriance

There’s something that’s been bothering Chikara for a while.

He _knows_ he’s destined to be the next captain of Karasuno. It’s basically predetermined; he’s really the only fitting candidate. With Nishinoya and Tanaka being...the _messes_ they are, and he knows Kinoshita and Narita well enough to know they’ll decline if given the offer. He doesn’t mind. The fact that he’ll be the captain isn’t the problem. The problem is: _who will be his vice captain?_

The easy answer is either Narita or Kinoshita. Or he could choose Tanaka, or Nishinoya. But neither options seemed... _right_. He'd never last if he had to deal with Tanaka or Nishinoya; making plays, herding the team around...it wasn’t something they would _enjoy_. Besides, Chikara did enough just herding them around, he couldn’t imagine either of them actually keeping a group of younger students in line. And as much as he loves Narita and Kinoshita, he just doesn’t know if they’d be strong enough to spend their final year of high school, and volleyball, dealing with everything they’d have to put up with on a daily basis.

...So that leaves the first years.

Hinata and Kageyama are definitely a no-deal. There’s no way either one of them would be a good fit. Tsukishima...If he could be compliant, he might be a good vice captain. Tadashi, though....Tadashi was a great fit.

Tadashi reminds Chikara of himself, in a way. He can’t explain it, but he does. The constant need to get better, to improve, to _play_...It was valiant. It was exactly the _opposite_ of how he acted, but yet it reminded him of himself somehow...

There was no way Chikara would be able to get him to agree, though; Tadashi is modest. He’s only going into his second year, and he wouldn’t want to do anything to make the other going-on-third-years angry at him. Then again, while second year vice captains are a rarity, they’re not _impossible_. In fact, Fukurodani’s current vice was just entering his third year the same year as he. So that wasn’t an issue... _But how would the others react to him choosing someone a year under them?.._

“Hey, Chika, what’re you thinkin’ about?..” 

Chikara startles, head snapping up to look at Kinoshita. “Huh? Nothing. Nothing!”

Next to Kinoshita, Narita raises an eyebrow.

“Really. It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. When are Tanaka and Noya showing up?..” 

Narita looks at his watch, ever-reliable. _Maybe Narita would work out, after all..._ “Soon.”

Chikara groans. “They’re always late...”

“Well, technically, we’re early...” 

It was true; even the coach hadn’t shown up yet. The first years weren’t to show up until later. The third years were somewhere, discussing the captaincy. Though, from he silence in the other room, it sounds as though they’ve finished.

“Chika, you look pale, are you ok? Maybe I should get you some water...”

 _...Or, Kinoshita. He’s kind, and he cares..._ Was there a rule about having two co-captains?..

“No, Kazu, I’m fine. Thanks.” 

“Is this about the whole captain thing?” 

Chikara stares at Kinoshita, mouth agape.

“What? No, there’s no way I’d be captain anyway, so I’m not scared.” It’s a lie, of course, and they all know it. 

Tanaka and Nishinoya burst through the club room door, grinning like idiots. “Heyyy, we miss anything important?”

“Just Chika freaking out about the fact that he’s going to be captain!” 

_Hisashi, you traitor!_ “I am _not_!"

“Oh, don’t worry, Chikara, you’ll be a great captain!” Tanaka says, slinging an arm over Chikara’s shoulder.

“Who said he wasn’t?” 

“No one! Except maybe Chikara himself,” Noya teases, flinging his own arm over Chikara’s other shoulder, grinning widely. “But we all believe in him, don’t we?” 

“Yeah!” Narita and Kinoshita grin too, and make their way towards him, and before he knows it, he’s engulfed by his classmates in a giant group hug.

“Well, aren’t we all friendly in here?” Eyes snap to the door, where Coach Ukai and the third years stand. The first years appear behind them, and Chikara feels his heart rate speed up. It was time.

“Well, we all know why we’re here.” Ukai claps his hands together, and everyone gets in order, first years behind the second years, third years standing in front of them. 

Daichi steps up. “We worked hard this year. And I’m very proud of you.”

Oh, god, here come the waterworks. Chikara doesn’t think he’ll last the whole meeting.

“But, as we all know, us third years aren’t going to be here forever. And it’s time for us to choose a new captain.”

Chikara feels like he’s about to have a heart attack.

“And our new captain...Needs to be someone strong. Someone dependable. I’m sure a few of you already know who we plan to choose; it’s been an unspoken thing since the spring interhighs, and I guess now it’s being spoken.” Daichi laughs nervously. “Ennoshita?..” 

“Y- Yes, captain?..” 

“No. Daichi. Captain is your title now. Take care of my team.” Daichi bows, and Chikara feels his breath leaving his body. 

“Take care of us, captain Ennoshita!” The team booms, and Chikara cringes. Daichi claps him on the shoulder, grinning. 

“Do me proud.” 

“And whoever ends up replacing me...Do me proud. Ok?” 

Chikara gulps.

“Of course, you’ll have time to think about a vice captain, but we’ll need to know by the end of the week, ok?” Ukai chimes in, and Chikara nods numbly. “Alright. With that, you’re all dismissed.”

There’s cheering, and Chikara is hauled up, and being dragged out.

“Let’s go get pork buns! It’s on me!” Daichi says, grinning at him. He winks. “Last time ever, and then it’s your turn.” 

“Ah, yeah...” 

“So who are you planning on making your co-captain, Chika?” Chikara startles at Narita’s hand on his shoulder. _Shit shit shit--  
_

“Now, now, p- please leave him to his thinking, Narita-senpai,” Tadashi scolds, and Chikara is glad. “He needs to collect his thoughts.” 

So they go get pork buns, and the entire time, Chikara’s mind is stuck on his captaincy. The whole night he observes his team mates, but by now, he’s sure Tadashi is a good candidate for the vice captaincy. He’d watched as Tadashi fussed over Tsukishima for being rude, and as he pats Kageyama’s back to stop him from choking on his food. He’s attentive, and collected; he could definitely help him lead the team.

He’d had his eyes on his two best friends, as well. Kinoshita and Narita, the more he considers them, might fit the bill as well. Then again, as strong as they’d gotten, and how hard they’d worked, they-- they were still... _cowardly_. As much as he hates to say it, they are. They still complain when practice takes them forever; and while they promise they won’t leave again, sometimes he really questions that.

With all the promising younger teammates, he really couldn’t blame them...

The more he watches everyone, the more he’s questioning himself. Suddenly everyone is a _good_ _choice_. He sees the confidence of Hinata as admirable, and thinks he could be a good fit -- even though he wasn’t earlier. He sees Tanaka’s and Noya’s loyalty. He sees Tsukishima’s sternness, and thinks he’d be good at helping him round up the team. He sees Narita, and Kinoshita, and he feels the nostalgia of their middle school years and he wants to have more to look back on. But then he sees Tadashi helping Yachi, and helping with the cleaning, and talking to adults respectfully, and he _knows_. But can he really do that to his friends?..

"We need to talk.”

The other second years look up from their respective studying -- or, lack thereof -- and cock their heads at Chikara.

“What is it, Chika?..”

Normally, the affectionate nickname wouldn’t feel like a kick to the gut, but with the impending conversation, he feels like vomiting. “Uh...W- Well. We all know-- We all know that I’m going to be captain, and that I still have yet to pick a vice captain...”

“Yeah?..” 

“And I--” Chikara looks around the room at his friends, and chokes on the air in his lungs. “Would you guys hate me if I picked one of the first years?”

Chikara’s eyes widen and his hand flies over his mouth in surprise at what he’d blurted out. The others stare at him, wide-eyed as well. Noya’s mouth is wide open. Tanaka drops a chip that was making it’s way into is mouth. Narita’s pencil falls from is hand.

“I mean-- not that I don’t believe in you guys! I just--” 

“I don’t mind. Do you guys?” Chikara looks from Kinoshita, to Noya to Tanaka. They’re all nodding in agreement to Narita’s words. 

“But-- But, he’s only going into his second year, he’s-- he’s not one of you. Wouldn’t one of you be-- be mad at me? I’m sure some of you would rather--”

“Chikara! _None_ _of us are going to hate you_. Got it?” Chikara flinches at Narita’s hard tone.  “We respect all of your decisions, and we would never get angry with you just because you chose someone younger than us to be captain. Ok?”

“Y- Yeah, but--” 

“Chika, it seems like you’re trying to get us to disagree so you don’t have to.” 

“No, Kazu, I’m n--” Chikara trails off, because he knows that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’d hoped one of them would be mad. He didn’t want to put the stress of the vice captaincy onto poor Tadashi. He doesn’t think he can. It just wouldn’t be fair. “I’m...n...Ok, maybe I am. I just-- would _he_ be mad at me if I chose him over you guys?”

“What? Why would he be mad about that?” 

“Well, Tadashi is such a modest boy--” 

“Wait, you know I was going to choose Tadashi?” Chikara stares wide-eyed at Narita, mouth open. 

“Come on. You didn’t think we couldn’t see the way you were staring at him the most out of all of us?”

“You...saw...” 

Narita laughs, and Kinoshita smiles softly. “We’re your best friends. We see everything.”

Well, fuck.

“So...You’re not mad?”

“No.”

“How do you think he’ll react?” 

“He’ll be glad.” 

“Are-- Are you sure?..” 

“Of course.” The others stare at Chikara like he’s crazy. Maybe he is. He doesn’t know. 

Chikara takes a breath. “Ok.”

Narita raises an eyebrow at him. “Ok?”

“...I don’t know if I can.”

“Oh my _god_ , Chika,” 

-

“Tadashi, can we talk a moment?” 

“S- Sure, captain!” Tadashi scuttles over to Chikara, looking alarmed.

“Uh...C- Can we go outside?” 

“Sure...” Tadashi looks nervously behind him, quirking an eyebrow at the quickly hidden thumbs-up the others were giving him. Chikara leads Tadashi outside the gym, holding the door for him, seemingly furthering the other’s anxiety. 

“So, Tadashi. As you know, I- I’m...captain now...” Chikara starts, and Tadashi seems to know where this is going, because his eyes widen and he takes a step back. 

“S- Senpai--”

“And I need a vice captain to help me out.” Chikara says, tone harder, to assert himself. “And I’ve weighed my options, and decided that none of the people in my year will work for the position.”

“Really. I--”

“Tadashi, please be my vice-captain!” Chikara bows, startling Tadashi enough for him to jump back, trip, and fall right on his ass. Chikara straightens up, rushing to his underclassman. “Sorry to startle you. Are-- Are you ok?”

“M’ fine.” Tadashi mumbles, accepting the extended hand and allowing himself to get pulled up. Once righted, he rubs at his lower back, frowning. “Ah, that hurt...”

“Sorry, again...I just really needed to get my point across.” Chikara flushes in embarrassment, rubbing at his neck awkwardly. 

Tadashi seemingly relaxes. “I- It’s ok.” 

“So...Be my vice-captain?” 

Immediately Tadashi stiffens again. “S- Senpai, I really think you should--”

“ _Please_.” Tadashi gives him a distressed look, and he feels bad, but he _needs_ him to accept, there was no turning back now. 

Tadashi sees the desperation in his face and thinks it over. “The-- The other senpais will be upset with me...”

“No! They won’t! I asked if they’d be ok with it, even, and they said it would be ok! Sop please be my vice captain Yamaguchi Tadashi!” He bows again, and this time Tadashi doesn’t leer back. 

“...I...” Chikara peeks up through his hair, and watches Tadashi gnaw at his lip in thought. He can practically _see_ the cogs turning in his head, trying to process everything. Finally, he locks eyes with Chikara, decisive look on his face. “...If the others won’t be mad.” 

Chikara straightens. “You will?”

“...I will.” 

_Oh, thank god._

“Thank you, Tadashi!” Chikara flings himself at Tadashi, hugging him tight, grinning down at him as they pull apart. “Let’s go tell the others.” 

Tadashi gulps. “A- Alright.” 

When Chikara and Tadashi re-enter, the others look at them, expectant. Chikara clears his throat. “Everyone line up!” 

Immediately the team lines up. Even Ukai wanders over, standing off to the side and watching the scene with vague interest. Now in the presence of his peers, Tadashi looks calmer, and at least he isn’t shaking like a leaf in place next to Chikara. 

Chikara clears his throat again, suddenly nervous. “As you all know, I-- I have yet to pick a vice captain. It’s the end of the week, and as promised, I’ve come to a decision; and trust me, it was a tough one.” He breathes out a sigh, and continues. “So, if I may, I introduce your new vice captain, Yamaguchi Tadashi.” 

He pushes Tadashi forward as a collective applause starts up. Hinata and Noya jump on him, cheering his name, and Tanaka claps him on the back. Everyone is smiling, and Chikara knows exactly why: the first years were the only ones who hadn’t known. 

“Alright, alright, everyone back to practicing now!” Ukai claps his hands together, muttering something about kids, and Chikara chuckles, repeating the command as he pushes the team back onto court. 

Tanaka calls over his shoulder as he runs up for serving practice. “Pork buns on the captains afterwards, right?!”

Chikara sighs. They really didn’t change, no matter who was the captain, or the vice captain. 

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had the scene where Chikara confessed that he was thinking of Tadashi as his vice captain to be a big apology scene and for Narita and Kinoshita to be all like "Wtf??? It doesn't matter???" But whoops that's not how it turned out at all.


End file.
